Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11

I'm not an overtly political person, so I will restrict my comments to the following:

1. I've enjoyed some of Michael Moore's work (having Steven Wright ask a bishop whether Satan will triumph over good was a stroke of genius), but it is clear that he prefers broad targets that he can lambast with ease. Nothing wrong with that--those are my favorite targets as well.

2. It's clear to me that much of Michael Moore's critical acclaim is politically motivated, just as is much of the criticism leveled against him. Which you believe largely depends on your political beliefs.

3. Overall, the reviews of the film are mixed. Yet you can count on the intense controversy surrounding the film to guarantee strong box office.

The irony here is that both "The Passion" and "F911" were blacklisted by the major studios for being controversial...only to to have that controversy make them more commercially successful than the vast majority of studio releases.

The former Miss Illinois (and National Merit Scholar and Northwestern grad) alleges that her politico husband tried to convince her to have public sex with him at swingers clubs in New Orleans, New York, and Paris, with such features as "cages, whips, and other apparatus hanging from the ceiling."

Monday, June 21, 2004

1.21 Gigawatts!

Ever wonder what lightning looks like up close and personal? Thanks to Marc Laidlaw, now you can see for yourself. Laidlaw was in his backyard snapping photos of a lightning storm when a lightning bolt struck the tree in front of him right as he was taking a picture.